Bottle capping apparatus



y 20, 1958 G. E. FORD ETAL BOTTLE CAPPING APPARATUS Filed July 11, 1955 lnvenior y E. Ford P s. Waite y Attorneys United States Patent BOTTLE CAPPING APPARATUS Geofirey Ewart Ford and Philip Sidney Waite, Redfordshire, England, assignors to Fords (Finsbury) Limited, Kempston, England, a British company Application July 11, 1-955,-SerialNo. 521,351

7 Claims. (Cl. 53-345) The present invention relates to apparatus for capping bottles or the like.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for closing a light-weight foil cap over the-mouth of a bottle or the like, comprising a segmented ring assembly, the segments of which each have a lever arm projecting radially outwards to be supported by a relatively fixed pivot bearing, said segments being adapted to be moved together as an assembly by means of a pressure member that is adapted to be moved in a longitudinal direction by a bottle or the like, a ring of elastic material being connected to said segments so that said pivotal movement compresses said elastic ring radially inwards and causes it to expand radially outwards in dependence upon the sense of the said longitudinal movement, said radiallyinward movement of the elastic ring causing it to contact the flange ot a cap placed over the bottle mouth thus to close same thereover.

The closing action referred to is preferably arranged to take place against spring pressure so that whenthe bottle or the like is moved out of contact with the pressure member, the segments automatically revert to their normal open position. Conveniently this may be effected by providing the segments each with a groove in which is located part of an elastic ring such as a rubber ring or a garter spring.

The segments may each be provided with a second lever arm which projects radially inwards to be accommodated within a deep annular groove in the pressure member.

in order that the invention may be more clearly understood reterence will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show one specific embodiment thereof by way of example and in which:

Fig. 1 shows a section from the apparatus in the open position, and

Fig. 2 shows a corresponding section in the closed or flanges 3 and 4 so as to provide free play between the I members 1 and 5.

The outer member 5 is in the form of. annulus with a deep and wide groove 6 and the inner member is provided with an upper extension '7 in the form of a central stem or the like as shown for guiding the pressure memher in a relatively fixed part of the apparatus. Two springs 8 and 9 are provided between the inner and outer members of the pressure member and the said relatively fixed part of the apparatus which in the example shownis 'ice in the-form of a bridge-piece '10 or the like suitably accommodated over the pressure member and having an aperture 11 in which the stem or rod 7 is located.

The segments hereinabove referred to are made from metal and each of them has two projecting lever arms, one extending radially inwards at 12 and the other radially outwards at 13. The outer arms 13 are all terminated by a ball tip 14 and conveniently the outer arms may comprise a ball tip stern which may be screwed into its segment as shown in the drawings at 15. The

fixed part bearing and the inwardly-directed arms 12 move on movement of the pressure member. The groove 6 in the outer part of the pressure member allows free dom of movement of the inwardly-directed lever arms .12

of the segments so that the arcuate movement of the segments during travel of the pressure member may be accommodated. This accommodation is facilitated by the bevelled edge 19 on the upper part of the outer member. At thelower part of each segment is a groove 20, all

.the.grooves- 20 in thesegment being located in the same relative position whereby an elastic ring 21, for example of rubber, may be accommodated in said grooves in which it is a tight fit. Therefore dun'ng upward movement of the pressure member and consequent upward movement of the outwardly-directed lever arms 12 the segments pivot about their fixed bearings 16, 18 to cause the elastic ring 21 to be compressed radially inwards to the position shown in Fig. 2 and this inwardmovement is preferably against spring pressure which may conveniently be arranged by a second flexible e. g. rubber, ring 22located in a second groove 23 on the outer parts of the segments towards the upper ends thereof'as shown.

In operation, the bottle B with cap C placed over its mouth is presented to the-apparatus and moved upwardly so that it contacts the lower flange 4 of the pressure member. The initial vertical movement causes no pivoting of the segments about their fixed pivot bearings but merely acts to keep the cap C on the bottle B until the outer part 5 of the pressure member is contacted by flange 4 whereupon the pressure member is moved further vertically upwards to effect pivoting of the segments about their pivot bearings until the position of Fig. 2 is "reached by which time the .flexible .ring 21 has been compressed radially inwards to contact the depending flange C of the battle cap C to compress this flange C into the groove G as commonly provided on the outer side wall of the mouthof the bottle B.

During this upward vertical movement the springs 8 and .9 are compressed and after the sealingoperation the bottle B is caused to move vertically downwards thereupon the pressure member also moves downwards and the segments return to their normal lower position of Fig. l assisted by the influence of the upper flexible ring 22.

Although specifically in the examplegiven-the bottle LB is caused to move relatively to the sealing .head .it will be apparent that if desired the bottle could beheld .staticnary and the scaling head moved in relationthereto.

' We claim: v

1. An apparatus for closing a lightweight foil cap over the mouth of 'a bottle, comprising aplurality of segments located-to form a segmented ring assembly, a lever arm projecting outwardly from each of said segments, an annular fixed pivot bearing located for supporting said projecting lever arms, a pressure arm projecting inwardly from each of said segments, each of said pressure arms being substantially parallel to but laterally displaced from said outwardly projecting lever arm on its own segment, a pressure member engaging the inner ends of said pressure arms and mounted for movement in a vertical direction by the bottle to be capped, a longitudinal groove in the inner face of each of said segments, a ring of elastic material tightly accommodated in and by said grooves, a second longitudinal groove in each of said segments and located in the outer face thereof, and a rubber ring located in said grooves.

2. An apparatus for closing a lightweight foil cap over the mouth of a bottle, comprising a plurality of segments located to form a segmented ring assembly, a lever arm projecting outwardly from each of said segments, an annular fixed pivot bearing located for supporting said projecting lever arms, a pressure arm projecting inwardly from each of said segments, each of said pressure'arms being substantially parallel to but laterally displaced from said outwardly projecting lever arm on its own segment, a pressure member engaging the inner ends of said pressure arms andinounted for movement in a vertical direction by the'bottle to be capped, a longitudinal groove in the inner face of each of said segments, a ring of elastic material tightly accommodated in and by-said grooves, spring means to revert said segments automatically to their normal position on movement of the bottle out of contact with said pressure member after the closing action and said pressure member comprising an inner cylindrical member having upper and lower flanges and an outer member arranged con-' centrically therewith and located axially between said flanges, the axial length of said outer member being less than the axial distance between the said two flanges.

3. An apparatus for closing a lightweight foil cap over the mouth of a bottle, comprising a plurality of segments located to form a segmented ring assembly, a lever arm projecting outwardly from each of said segments, an annular fixed pivot bearing located for supporting said projecting lever arms, a pressure arm projecting inwardly from each of said segments, each of said pressure arms being substantially parallel to but laterally displaced from said outwardly projecting lever arm on its own segment, a pressure member engaging the inner ends of said pressure arms and mounted for movement in a vertical direction by the bottle to be capped, a longitudinal groove in the inner face of each of said segments, a ring of elastic material tightly accommodated in and by said grooves, spring means to revert said segments automatically to their normal position on movement of the bottle out of contact with said pressure member after the closing action and said pressure member comprising an inner cylindrical member having upper and lower flanges and an outer member arranged concentrically therewith and located axially between said flanges, the axial length of said outer member being less than the axial distance between the said two flanges and said outer member being in the form of an annulus with a deep and wide groove.

4. An apparatus for closing a lightweight foil cap over the mouth of a bottle, comprising a plurality of segments located to form a segmented ring assembly, a lever arm projecting outwardly from each of said segments, an annular fixed pivot bearing located for supporting said projecting lever arms, a pressure arm projectin inwardly from each of said segments, each of said pressure arms being substantially parallel to but laterally displaced from said outwardly projecting lever arm on its own segment, a pressure member engaging the inner ends of said pressure armsand mounted for movement in a vertical direction by the bottle to be capped, a longitudinal groove in the inner face of each of said segments, a ring of elastic material tightly accommodated in and by said grooves, spring means to revert said segments automatically to their normal position on movement of the bottle out of contact with said pressure member after the closing action and said pressure member comprising an inner cylindrical member having upper and lower flanges and an outer member arranged concentrically therewith and located axially between said flanges, the axial length of said outer member being less than the axial distance between the said two flanges, an upper extension on said inner member and a fixed apertured member located above said pressure member, said upper extension locating in said aperture.

5. An apparatus for closing a lightweight foil cap over the mouth of a bottle, comprising a plurality of segments located to form a segmented ring assembly, a lever arm projecting outwardly from each of said segments, an annular fixed pivot bearing located for supporting said projecting lever arms, a pressure arm projecting inwardly from each of said segments, each of said pressure arms being substantially parallel to but laterally displaced from *said outwardly projecting lever arm on its own segment,

.elastic material tightly accommodated in and by said grooves, spring means to revert said segments automatically to their normal position on movement of the bottle outof contact with said pressure member after the closing action and said pressure member comprising an inner cylindrical member having upper and lower flanges and an outer member arranged concentrically therewith and located axially between said flanges, the axial length of said outer member being less than the axial distance between the said two flanges, an upper extension on said inner member, a fixed apertured member located above said pressure member, said upper extension locating in said aperture and two helical spring members between said pressure member and said fixed part above said pressure member.

6. An apparatus for closing a lightweight foil cap over the mouth of a bottle, comprising a plurality of segments located to form a segmented ring assembly, a lever arm projecting outwardly from each of said segments, an annular fixed pivot bearing located for supporting said projecting lever arms, a pressure arm projecting inwardly from each of said segments, each of said pressure arms being substantially parallel to but laterally displaced from said outwardly projecting lever arm on its own segment, a

pressure member engaging the inner ends of said pressure arms and mounted for movement in a vertical direction by the bottle to be capped, a longitudinal groove in the inner face of each of said segments, a ring of elastic material tightly accommodated in and by said grooves and a ball tip at the outer ends of said projecting lever arms, said relatively fixed bearing comprising an annular bearing surface to locate said ball tips and a cover plate secured to said annular bearing surface to retain said ball tips.

7. An apparatus for closing a lightweight foil cap over the mouth of a bottle, comprising a plurality of segments located to form a segmented ring assembly, a lever arm projecting outwardly from each of said segments, an annular fixed pivot bearing located for supporting said projecting lever arms, a pressure arm projecting inwardly from each of said segments, each of said pressure arms being substantially parallel to but laterally displaced from said outwardly projecting lever arm on its own segment, a pressure member engaging the inner ends of said pressure arms and mounted for movement in a vertical direction by the bottle to be capped, a longitudinal groove in the inner face of each of said segments, a ring of elastic material tightly accommodated in and by said grooves, spring means to revert said segments automatically to their normal position on movement of the bottle out of contact with said pressure member after the closing action and a ball tipped stem screwed into the outer end of said outwardly projecting lever arms, said relatively fixed bearing comprising an annular bearing surface to locate said ball tips and a cover plate secured to said annular bearing surface to retain said ball tips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kniesche July 3, 1934 Glunz Oct. 6, 1936 Bedworth et al. May 3, 1949 Zimmermann Mar. 6, 1951 

